- James became the target of comments she made in a December 2021 Netflix special
- In it, she talked about recognizing that her son was going through puberty
- Social media users said the piece was bizarre and in poor taste
- James plays principal Ava Coleman in the ABC series Abbott Elementary
Abbott Elementary star Janelle James was targeted by critics on Thursday amid a resurfaced bit from her 2021 Netflix comedy special The Standups in which she joked about the size of her son's penis.
A number of social media users condemned the routine of comic actress, who plays lead actor Ava Coleman in the ABC series, in the comedy showcase, which debuted on the streamer in December 2021.
In the routine, James said: 'My youngest son has now been given an ad. I did not know that. I didn't know he had ad***. They say you blink and you miss it. It's true. I didn't know he had advertising.'
She continued, “I was sitting on the edge of my bed and he ran past from the bathroom to… I think he forgot his towel or whatever, and I was like, 'What the fuck was that?'
The Emmy-nominated entertainer said on stage that her son's growth amazed her.
Janelle James was targeted by critics on Thursday amid a resurfaced clip from her 2021 Netflix comedy special The Standups in which she joked about the size of her son's penis. Pictured in LA last June
A number of social media users condemned the comic actress' routine in the comedy showcase, which debuted on the streamer in December 2021.
'I said, 'That's an ad*** – what?'' she said. “That son of a bitch needs to get a job. I can't walk around with all this crap and no income. That's disrespectful.
'He used to have a pee. You know? The last time I saw that was a puddle. You change the diaper, you play rhythm guitar on the toilet. No other parents here? That's the best thing about having a son.'
James told it Variety earlier this year she announced that she is the mother of two sons, one of whom is in her early twenties, and another whose age she did not say.
One user said on Twitter: 'Janelle James sexualises her son and describes molestation. Ma'am, WTF!? And of course, she is around children as principal of Abbott Elementary. She has to go.
'You play rhythm guitar on the puddle. That's the best part about having a boy.' Like hello?! Sick.'
One user called James “petty and weird,” adding that she “thought it was really cool to get up on that stage and make jokes and talk about her son's genitals.”
Another user said the jokes brought back unpleasant childhood memories.
“What Janelle James said in her stand-up reminds me of the wildly inappropriate things adults said about us when we were kids,” the user said. 'How our bodies developed, how attractive we would be, things that made me terribly uncomfortable. I never got over that.'
The special first streamed on Netflix in December 2021
James plays principal Ava Coleman in the ABC comedy Abbott Elementary
Numerous people took to Twitter to criticize James' comedic bit in the Netflix special
One user said the jokes brought back unpleasant childhood memories
One user defended James amid the outrage over the 2021 joke, saying it was an example of why no one 'takes internet criticism seriously'
Another user said, “It's sad that in our society it's so normal to be silent where there should be outrage,” as “that whole room should have been empty afterward.”
One user said these types of jokes “ARE NEVER FUNNY.”
One user defended James amid the outrage over the 2021 joke, saying it was an example of why no one “takes internet criticism seriously.”
“Do I think Janelle James' joke was distasteful, yes,” the user said. “Do I think she's a child predator, no. It's all or nothing with you people, sometimes take things for what they are.'
Dailymail.com has contacted representatives for James for comment on the story.